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Musings

It’s a Brand New Year!

And we have a brand new website! It’s been 3 years since Stories first opened its doors to brides and grooms, families and children. Since then, we’ve photographed more than 200 bridal couples and 100+ families. From a business that started with one person (me!), we now have 5 full time staff.

I am truly grateful to God for providing for our needs. Running a business is probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever embarked on in my life. Even during the low seasons when we didn’t have a single booking in a month… God saw us through. Honestly, I never thought that one day, I’ll be running a photography and videography business. The worry that business owners face is something I never wanted for my life. I just want to live a carefree, easygoing life… pretty much take on whatever comes my way.

But I guess He had other plans.

I read this verse in the Bible recently.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

It sounds simple but often times, worry is a condition that usually doesn’t just ‘go away’. How often have you heard someone say, “Don’t worry…” but it made no difference whatsoever to your lives?

However, when I read the verse before that… “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.” The little devotional I was reading reminded me that I can’t just start by praying and then expect my anxiety to simply vanish into thin air. We have to start by habitually drinking at His well for joy, with an inclining of our heart toward Him throughout every moment of each day and every moment of life. (Quoted from Worklife.org)

If this doesn’t really make sense to you, what it basically means is that I should focus on the positive things that God has blessed me with, and not on the negative. And ultimately, my source of joy… God Himself.

I look forward to another year with our team, creating amazing images for our clients and making a difference in people’s lives.

And so, with a thankful heart, we are feeling generous this season.

We hope you will join the hundreds of Stories alumni who have graced our cameras with their presence.

Have a look at the promo details here or contact us to make an appointment.

Give Thanks for Everything

What an amazing year 2013 has been. Personally, I just turned 1 year as a mom, and that has been such a beautiful journey. Having a child reminds you to cherish the small things everyday, and to make time for people who matter.

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Yeah, work’s been good, we now have 5 full time staff in the team,  have photographed and filmed 65 weddings/pre-weddings and 34 lifestyle portrait clients in 2013. We have also completed quite a number of corporate shoots under the Integricity Visuals brand. While some may not consider this as a lot, I truly give thanks for what we have been given. God has never left us in lack and we have always been content.

I love working with the amazing team of people at Integricity. I love our family culture and how everyone cares for each other genuinely. Life is about relationships…and working with awesome people makes my day!

Have a wonderful Christmas season as you cherish important people in your life, while remembering that all good things come from above!

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Beauty in the Ordinary: Alex, Grace & Krysta

My father was an avid photographer – the only one in the extended family when I was a child. Clad with a manual SLR, he captured some moments in the family that I think are very precious. Being the sentimental person that I am, I love the photos so much because dad simply captured our ordinary day – they are pictures of me falling asleep when I was doing my homework, my little brother giving my mom a kiss when he was 3 years old and little sister who made a face at the camera because dad was trying to take a shot of her eating.

So when Alex suggested to do a photo session with them at home doing ordinary stuff, I jumped right into it. I thought it would be different from the ones that we have done before and also, new ideas often excite me. Hehe.

I went in with the idea of shooting like how a Nat Geo photographer would shoot – photojournalistic. Some nice wide angles to give an idea of the environment, unstaged, raw and at the same time, contemporary. I thought about the shots that would simply tell a story of their everyday lives – the kind that would make the family feel nostalgic when they look at the shot 10, 20 years down the road.

The shoot turned out to be a very fun and satisfying one! Alex, Grace and Krysta were so natural in front of the camera as I pranced around them with a black piece of something (camera) on my face. I also kinda forgot that I was shooting my boss. I guess it’s a good thing because if I had that thought hovering around my head, I would have a lot of pressure!

I really do hope you like the photos, boss. Hehe.

Diane

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The Maze of Marrakech, Morocco

Within the fortified medina walls, lie little stories and hidden adventures at every turn. It is truly a maze, and if you are not careful, you’d easily find yourself walking in circles, trying desperately to navigate your way to someplace familiar. When I landed in Marrakech, my senses were just heightened. I love the energy of being in a country like Morocco. Reminds me of my travels to Egypt in the past.

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Looking at Google maps within these walls would be completely useless. It’s just a blob of emptiness…seemingly no roads, but in reality, there are hundreds of pathways leading down alleyways where some merchants try to sell fig, dates or bread.

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Honestly, I am not too big a fan of their tajine dishes… after a while, it started tasting alike to me. Krysta traveled with us, and she was a trooper!

On the first day, we were led through these pathways, through a small alleyway that was less than 6 feet in height. There were times when Alex had to duck his head because the ceiling was so low. But then, we came to this huge door that revealed a beautiful riad inside.

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Garden ROM at The Club, Saujana: Jonathan & Jacinda

I’ve grown to love this beautiful location. It’s a small little green patch of grass overlooking a lake, but given the right time of day when the sun is setting in the distance, you have gorgeous sunlight falling over this area, which makes for amazing back light. Ok, if you didn’t quite understand this photographer’s rambling, the location looks like this:

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And this is the amazing back light (or hair light) I am talking about.

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One of the wonderful things about small weddings is that you have lots of time for portraits. I enjoy creating images of the couple with their families and also close friends in a gorgeous setting. I photographed Jon and Jac a few months back when we did their Mad Men themed pre-wedding shoot. It was easy to connect with this couple, and from that moment on, I knew photographing them would be a breeze. The week after, Jon and Jac had their Chinese wedding ceremony (photos in the slideshow at the end of this post).

For this post, I thought I’d write a few tips on what I think would make a great garden wedding (from a photographer’s perspective):

1. Choose the time of day well

Considering we live in tropical Malaysia, the best time for an outdoor wedding would be before 10am and after 5pm. The sun is lower in the horizon which makes it more flattering for people photos. Have you ever taken a photo outdoors at 12pm, and seen lots of raccoon eyes (dark shadows under the eyes) staring back at you? Yup, that’s the effect of the sun as it is directly above you. So if you’d like more flattering images of yourself outdoors, opt to have your ceremony start at the timing suggested.

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